Jim Marurai

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7th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
Jim Marurai
Incumbent
Assumed office December 14, 2004
Preceded by	Robert Woonton
Constituency	Ivirua, Mangaia

Born	Birth date? Birthplace?
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Tuaine Marurai (deceased)

Jim Marurai has been the prime minister of the Cook Islands since December 14, 2004 when he was elected by parliament by a vote of 14-9. He is a member of the Democratic Party (named Democratic Alliance Party from 1997 to 2003), the same party as his predecessor, Robert Woonton. Due to internal disputes, he left the Democrats in 2005 to form the Cook Islands First Party, governing in coalition with the Cook Islands Party. This agreement later broke down, and he formed a new coalition with the Democrats. He returned to the Democrats before the 2006 elections, remaining Prime Minister but not becoming party leader. Marurai was previously the minister of education. Marurai is a graduate of University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As a secondary school student Marurai attended Tereora College on Rarotonga and was known as Niu World. He is from Ivirua, Mangaia.

Marurai's wife, Tuaine Marurai, died on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 in Auckland, New Zealand after suffering from cancer. She was 56. She was buried on her home island of Mangaia.^[1]